Each week, the Indie Rock Hit Parade is allotted a mere two hours to fill your brain with new and exciting sounds. While that might seem like a short amount of time, a lot is accomplished in that span. For example, on tonight’s show (starting at 11pm ET on WXPN, shortly after Making Time RADio with Dave P), we’ll hear a new studio session, the grand return of a beloved band, and a few spotlights on newly released albums. First up, the live session: Los Angeles dream poppers Froth recently came through our studio to perform songs from their new album, Outside (briefly). If you dig walls of guitars mixed with ear-popping melodies, don’t miss this live set. Perhaps the biggest news in the music world is the resurrection of LCD Soundsystem. We’ll hear both sides of their comeback single in the mix tonight. And what would an IRHP be without an Album Spotlight or three? So much new stuff came out this week, we’ll dig into new records by Perfume Genius, Cayetana and The Black Lips in the second hour of tonight’s show. Preview a few of the new things below…

Tonight’s Indie Rock Hit Parade is nothing short of the real deal. Listen on XPN at 11pm ET (right after a special week-early edition of Land of the Lost with Robert Drake) for a full two-hour show that is stacked top-to-bottom with brand new releases just for you. We’ll hear new singles from evocative pop master Perfume Genius, Atlanta party punks The Black Lips and the always luminous Feist. Don’t miss those plus a few other special IRHP news updates and surprises!

The Black Lips have been a band for 15 years—almost the same amount of time that artists like Lorde have been alive (she’s 17). It’s a formidable tenure for any band, but especially one like The Black Lips, who are seemingly driven by wild antics and good times. The band’s history has been punctuated with stories of outrageous performances—vomiting, urination, on-stage makeout sessions; getting kicked out of India and banned from Canada—which almost seem to garner more attention than their actual tunes. I’m reminded of a feature that ran in Spin Magazine a few years back, in which they explain that performing—in the loaded sense of the term—has always been the crux of their philosophy. “Musicians are the guys who sell us strings,” remarked guitarist Ian Saint Pé. “Entertainers are the ones who are legendary, and we’re entertainers.”

A decade and a half after forming, this still holds true. Friday night at Union Transfer, the band brought energy, enthusiasm, and jangly riffs to life, inciting the already riled crowd with a raucous live performance.

Of course antics alone—even of the most incendiary nature—can only propel a band for so long. After that, one needs musicianship to back it up. The Black Lips’ first record, 2003’s Black Lips!, was a drunken romp through ramshackle garage-punk that teetered charmingly on the brink of dissolution. Since then, they’ve only gotten better. Their most recent, 2014’s Underneath the Rainbow, was produced by the Black Keys’ Pat Carney, and melds their sleazy jangle with cleaner production and hints of rock, blues, and grunge. It’s not as in-your-face as early material, but it’s definitely more listenable. The Black Lips haven’t lost their edge; they’ve simply polished it.

Their set Friday night drew about 50% from Rainbow, juxtaposing the Beatles-y rattle of “Drive By Buddy” and “Justice After All” with the comparatively straightforward raging of “Dirty Hands” and “Bad Kids.” Bluesy single “Boys in the Wood,” featuring singer/guitarist Cole Alexander’s girlfriend Zumi (of K-Holes) on sax, was indulgent, twisted, and thrashing—while “Smiling” (supposedly inspired by bassist Jared Swilley’s stint in jail) matched its rollicking melody with surprisingly on-point vocal harmonies.

All four Lips traded off lead vocals throughout, moving between Alexander’s drunken warble and Swilley’s impassioned crooning. Even drummer Joe Bradley—confined to his set—took a turn spitting out lyrics, while slamming his toms like a Muppet on speed.

Of the four, Alexander proved the most wildly, leaping into the crowd part-way through, and licking his guitar as if it was coated with candy. Saint Pé, the oldest of the group, seemed the most grounded—although on tunes like “Raw Meat” the entire band shredded and bounced.

Over the past 5 years, I’ve seen the Lips three times, and each time I left invigorated. Friday night featured no vomiting, and no urination, but still proved a raucous, indulgent affair. And honestly—I’m a little relieved. The Black Lips are still entertainers, but their live show—like their records—has grown up a little. These days, they sound better than ever.

Fans who made their way in to WXPN’s double-header Free at Noon concert today probably were not expecting they’d see the two artists on the bill – New Wave icon Boy George and Atlanta psych-punk four-piece Black Lips – collaborate on a song. Even if they were, they definitely weren’t expecting the song would be the proto-glam rock classic, “Bang a Gong” by T-Rex.

But there it was, one of the most unexpected and kind of surreal things we’ve seen happen in this concert series – and it sounded perfect. Check out a video of the performance below, and compare it to the original after the jump. Listen to Black Lips entire set here, and hear Boy George’s set here via the Free at Noon archives. Boy George headlines the TLA tonight, while Black Lips are at Union Transfer; get tickets and info on both shows at the XPN Concert Calendar.

About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH

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About The Key

Philadelphia: Home to a rich musical history, a unique musical identity, and one of the nation's most thriving musical communities. In a scene filled with so many local bands worth listening to, there will always be new music to discover—and The Key is your source for finding it. Brought to you by WXPN—the non-commercial public radio station that World Cafe, XPN2, and XPoNential Music Festival call home—The Key covers all local music in Greater Philly and beyond.GET IN TOUCH